Margaret Harris and Andrew Buchanan Early 1700's Ireland and Family in America

Margaret Harris2, daughter of John1, and Grizzel Steel, married Andrew Buchanan1, to whom she had Jane, Mary, John, James and Andrew2. They resided near Gilligordon, Donegal, Ireland. - from The Mifflintown Document 1801

I am researching my Harris Ancestors from Scotland to Ireland to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.The Harris brothers moved thorugh Cecil, Maryland to Mecklenburg, North Carolina down to York and Abbeville South Carolina and over to Blount County, Tennessee.Descendants kept moving- some up to Kentucky, down to Georgia and then west to places like Marion and Talladega, Alabama; Itawamba MS, Panola MS, and across to Texas- Grayson, Belton, and Wise.

This Harris family is in the Harris DNA Group 3 and are Scotch Irish families that emigrated from Ireland about 1730.The 7 brothers bought land from William Penn in Pennsylvania.And before 1750 many had started to move South.THe Harrises were the first family in Mecklenburg.

My direct line is the Brother John Harris and his second wife Rebecca McBay and their son John Harris.Brother John was first married to Grizzel Steel and she probably died in Ireland.Their daughter Margaret married Andrew Buchanan and stayed behind, but in searching for Brother John and his family I continue to see Buchanans and think there must be some connection to his daughter's family.

I know there are several Buchanans around my family who moved to the Crooked Creek area near Maryville, Blount, Tennessee which was in the Territory South of French Broad before Tennessee was granted statehood.

I know nothing further on the Buchanan line. I thought posting this might help us to find out more about Margaret Harris and her Buchanan descendants.Harris Group 3 DNA is supported by the Mifflintown Document.

Hope this helps someone, Terese teresemitchell@optilink.us

Background Information

The Mifflintown Document is a contemporaneous account

detailing the descendants of Robert Harris and Dorothy

Wiley.

The Scotch-Irish immigrants touched land in Philadelphia,

ca. 1725.The Harris sons and their families spread

throughout the young colonies becoming intricately woven

into the fabric,faith and service of the United States of

America.The document detailing the Harris family is

found in the book:

Colonel George Steuart and his wife Margaret Harris:

Their Ancestors and Descendants

with Appendixes of Related Families

Portraits and Illustrations

A Genealogical History

By

Robert Stewart, D.D., LL.D

This book was Printed at the

"Civil and Military Gazette" Press,

1907 in Lahore, India pp.398-401

Begin Transcription-

APPENDIX No. XI

T H EM I F F L I N T O W ND O C U M E N T

A copy of this document was sent the author byJohn Harris9, M.D., of Philadelphia, Jan. 18, 1865. At the conclusion he wrote:

“The foregoing was copied Aug. 10, 1855, by John Harris9 (then resident in Philadelphia) from two separate half sheets of cap paper,in the handwriting of his father, James Harris7, in the possession of Mrs. Thomazin Potter, a granddaughter of James Harris7. John Harris9, the copyist of the foregoing, born Dec. 31st, 1792, was the son of James Harris7, who was the son of John Harris2 who was the son of James Harris1 (by his second wife, Janet McClure),who was the son of EdwardHarris1 and Flora Douglas.

The family of James Harris7, the copyist’s father, were Jane5, John, Eliza Grizzel, James D., William11, Joseph, and Andrew, besides Robert and a female child who died in infancy.Jane, John, and Eliza were born in Mifflintown, the others in or near Bellefonte”.

In view of the above statement, therefore, it seems probable that James Harris7 of Bellafonte was the author of the document.

At the time of writing (Dec. 20, 1801) he was about 45 years old.He was also a very careful, cultured man and no doubt put nothing down but what was thoroughly established as correct.

He probably, too, gathered up his facts and penned them at Mifflintown where he was born, where there were older records, and where several older Harrises resided who could aid him in his researches.These persons were his eldest sister Jane5, his mother Jane1 (then in her 78th year), his uncle James Harris3 (then 82 or 83 years old), and probably his mother's cousin, Mrs. Turbett (nee Dolly Harris1) besides others who could give more or less help. The oldest of all, Thomas Harris1, had died 16 days previously, and his death seems to have suggested and stimulated the effort to get a written record of genealogies before it was entirely too late.

The antecedent probability that this document is perfectly trustworthy has been confirmed by all subsequent investigations(excepting in regard to William Harris2and his wife-see Appendix XVIII), and the writer considers it fortunate that he has had such a record to guide his researches.

It is hardly necessary to say that the "superior" numbers inserted are not original, but added by the author of this book as a guide to identify.The words bracketed are also the author's.

This document is without a heading and reads as follows:-

Edward1 and Charles1 Harris, being dissenters, were driven from Ayrshire, in Scotland, at the time of the persecution of the Protestants In the reign of Charles II, or of his successor, James.

They settled in County Donegal, near Rapho, Ireland. They were possessed of a valuable estate in Scotland, which was lost on account of their abandoning it.

Edward1 was married to Miss Flora Douglas, of the famous family of that name, who resided near the borders of England. He had sons:Edward2, Robert1 and James1.

Robert1 was married to Dorothy Wiley.They had children: John1,William1, James2, Margaret1, Thomas1, Samuel1, Robert2 and Charles2.

James1, son of Edward1, and Flora Douglas, married Mary Simpson, bywhom he had William2, Ann1 and James3. By a second marriage with Janet McClure he had a son, John2. Edward2, son of Edward1, and Flora Douglas, married ...............and had children, Robert3, William3 and Mary1.

John1, son of Robert1 and Dorothy Wiley, had Margaret2, Jane1, Robert4,and James4 by his first wife Grizzel Steel, daughter of Margaret Gray; by a second wife, Rebecca McBay, he had William4, Elizabeth1, Thomas2 and John3.

James2, son of R. and D. Wiley,married .........Mcllhenny, by whom he had Robert6, Samuel2 and others.The family moved to the Carolinas.

Margaret1, sister of James2, married Alexander Poer, to whom he had Jane, Dorothy, William and Samuel........ Pennsylvania.

Thomas1, son of R., and Dorothy Wiley, married Mary McKinney1, by whom he had Robert7, Mathew1, Margaret4, Margaret5, John6 Catharine1, and Mary2. He died Dec. 4th, 1801,............Pennsylvania.

Samuel1, brother of Thomas1, married........ Laird, by whom he had several children in Carolina.

Robert2, his brother, married Fanny Cunningham, by whom he had Robert8, William6, Elizabeth3, Martha1 and Margaret6..........Carolina.

Charles2, his brother, married Mcllhenny; had a large family in Carolina.

William2, son of James1, and Mary Simpson, married Catharine Wilson; emigrated from Ireland; settled at Swartara; had James6,

John7, William7 who died young, Sarah2, Mary3, and Robert9.

Ann1, sister of William, married David Caldwell 1; emigrated to Pennsylvania; moved to Carolina; had a family of children. After thedeath of D. Caldwell she married Robert Harris2, son of Robert1 andDorothy Wiley.

James3, son of James Harris1 and Mary Simpson, never married, and isat this time (Dec. 20, 1801) living with his sisterin-law, widow of his half brother, John2, at Mifflintown, Mifflin Co., Penn'a.

John Harris2, son of James Harris1 and Jane McClure, first married Jane Poer, daughter of Alexander Poer and Margaret Harris1, Mifflin, who died without issue.By his second wife, Jane Harris1, daughter of John Harris1 and Grizzel Steel (born Feb. 7, 1721) had Jane3, James7, William8, Grizzel1, Margaret7 and Ann2 .............Penn'a.He died Feb.[28], 1794.

Robert Harris3, son of Edward2 the younger and..........., married, and had Margaret8, Jane4, and Margery1. By a second wife, Margaret Mcllmunn, he had Robert10, Mary4 and William9. He died in Carolina.

Margaret Harris2, daughter of John1, and Grizzel Steel, married Andrew Buchanan1, to whom she had Jane, Mary, John, James and Andrew2. They resided near Gilligordon, Donegal, Ireland.

James4, son of John Harris1 and Grizzel Steel, married Elizabeth Harris3, daughter of Robert2 and Fanny Cunningham. By her he had a number of children in Carolina, where he died about 1794.

Robert4, his brother, died without issue.

William4, son of John Harris1 and his second wife Rebecca McBay, married Margaret Wilson, by whom he had John8 and a number of other children. They resided in South Carolina.

Thomas2, brother of Willam4, married in South Carolina.

John3, his brother, who had lived with his half brother-in-law John2, and sister Jane1, went to Carolina, married........., by whom he had William10 and other children.After her death he married .............by whom he has other children.He now resides near Mayville [or Maryville], Blount Co., Tennessee.His children are William10, John Baird, Elizabeth4, Robert Marklin, Mathew Handy, and Joseph Gilliland------------1801

NOTES ON THE ABOVE

For accounts of Edward Harris1, Flora Douglas, Robert Harris1, Dorothy Wiley, Thomas Harris1 and Margaret Harris5, see special sketches in Parts III and IV of this book.

For an account of John Harris2 of Mifflintown, and his descendants see pages 92, 93, and App. No. XVII.

For Mathew Harris1 and his descendants, see pages 94 to 97, and Appendix No. XXI.

For Robert Harris7 see pages 97, 98, 110.

For John Harris6 and his descendants see pages 94 to 96 and App. No XX.

For Catherine Harris1 and her descendants see pages 94, 95, and App. XIX.

For Mary Harris2 and her descendants see pages 101, 102, and App. No. XXIII.

For the Carolina Harrises see App. No XXXV.

For William Harris2 and his family see page 83 (note) and App. No. XVIII.Some of the family of William Harris1 lived for a time in Harford Co., Maryland---see page 93.Margaret3 married a Fulton---see App. No. VI; Dolly1, a Turbett---see App. No. XXVII; Isabella married her cousin Robert Harris7---see page 98.